


Soul Clef XI

by Snarky_SilverHaired_Sociopath



Series: Chorus [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Civil War, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Mercenaries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-04-08 13:23:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14106315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snarky_SilverHaired_Sociopath/pseuds/Snarky_SilverHaired_Sociopath
Summary: Felix and Locus arrive in Chorus and begin their mission.





	1. XC Soul File

**Author's Note:**

> Now, I'm glad to introduce the continuation of _Prelude to Chorus_. I kinda missed writing for Felix, so I'm looking forward to getting into his character again. I'm also looking forward to writing more about Locus' descent to being "a true soldier." Hopefully, I have enough time to do it with all the other fics I still have going. But for now, I hope you enjoy the first chapter for now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hargrove brief the two Mercenaries on their mission. Meanwhile, Locus' doubts start to arise again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title pronounced: "90 soul file"

Felix and Locus followed Hargrove onto the ship. "Again, I must thank you for assisting me in this endeavor," he said. "Having such qualified candidates working on this job"

"Of course, we're the best," Felix bragged. "And as long as we're getting paid, and I get some entertainment out of this, we'll be golden."

"Felix," Locus griped.

"What? I'm just telling the truth. You know we're the fucking best."

"The last thing we need is your ego getting in the way of things."

"Now, now, Locus," Hargrove said. "There's nothing wrong with being confident. Though, I will warn you that you do need to exercise caution for this mission. Plans need to be executed just right."

"And the people need to be executed right, too," Felix remarked. He chuckled at his joke while Locus rolled his eyes.

They went to the briefing room to get more information on the people of Chorus. "Now, as you know," Hargrove began, "the people involved in this civil war are looking to take control of the capital city, Armonia. The New Republic has been attempting to use intimidation to drive the Federation out of the city. This is in response to certain issues with the government put in place by the Federation. Restrictive policies and other bureaucratic mistakes that we don't have time to go into now."

Hargrove pulled up pictures of the commanders of the respective armies before continuing. "These two are the highest-ranking officials in the armies. The federal army's leader, General James Lovett, is a general with several years of combat experience and would be somewhat difficult to take control of. The New Republic's leader, General Miles Merchant, is more of a guerilla fighter with no formal training in army leadership. Now, based on your personalities, I have determined that Felix would be a better fit to work with the New Republic and Locus for the Federal Army."

"Oh, is it because I'm more of a rebel?" Felix stated. "I find that quite fitting as well," he said with a noticeable amount of smugness in his voice.

"I was actually thinking more informal. Locus, on the other hand, is very procedural and efficient. Making him a perfect fit for the Federal Army's forces." He turned off the images. "I'll be giving you the dossiers for each leader as well as some general information on your respective armies. Study them thoroughly and try to study your opposing army some as well to make sure you know how to keep up with them."

"We will study them," Locus said before looking towards Felix, "or at least I will."

"What are you looking at me for?" he yelled defensively. "What did I do?"

"Just a preemptive measure to make sure it's done right."

"I can do shit! I'm not a moron!"

"No, you are perfectly capable; just incredibly unprofessional."

"Well, I'm offended that you would say something like that to a valued partner."

"Gentlemen," Hargrove announced, "if we could please get on topic?"

"Apologies, sir," Locus replied. _At least one of us is taking this seriously_ , he thought.

"Now, your cover story is that you will be two independent mercenaries who are willing to work for the highest bidder. The Federal Army can pay you, but Felix, you can take some of the artifacts as payment. You shall send them to me and exchange them for payment as the job goes on."

"About that payment," Felix began, "will we be paid at the end of all of this or will you pay us as we go? Because if this takes too long, I don't wanna just go without pay."

Hargrove smirked. "No worries, Felix. You'll receive a monthly salary of 150,000 credits a month." _Holy shit_ , Felix thought, _that's a lot!_ "Along with some extra bonuses on specific paid jobs ordered directly from me."

"Now that is a sweet deal! Though, I should probably act disappointed at first with the payment they're giving me. You know, an independent mercenary wouldn't be happy with something he can't cash in immediately."

"Excellent thinking, Felix! You are rather adept at manipulating a situation."

He shrugged. "I try my best." Looking to his side at his partner, he knew this was truer than Locus would ever know.

"Then, what would incentivize you to stay with the army?" Locus asked. "That seems like a bit of an oversight."

Felix took a moment to consider this. _Hm, now why would I stay on…?_ He snapped his fingers and said, "I got it! We know each other. Right? Think about it. Former partnering mercenaries who turned against each other trying to see who's the best once and for all. I would think that they would be up shit's creek without a paddle, so they'd need a mercenary more than ever. And that's when I drop in as their willing savior. After the Feds see me kickin' some ass against their soldiers, they'll be desperate. Then enter top-of-the-line, not-as-great-but-still-good mercenary, Locus." Locus grumbled at the description, but Hargrove was intrigued. "After that, I see my old rival and kickstart the competition once again. To see who is truly the better of the two."

"That sounds like plausible cover-story. Very good, Felix."

"Thanks! Man, I should be a writer. This stuff would make a killer blockbuster." Locus rolled his eyes under the helmet.

"Make sure to get all the details worked out before you pass them onto the armies. Consistency is key in this situation."

"Well, I'm sure I can keep things in line."

"I'm sure you can. One more thing before you go. We have hired a small group of space pirates to assist you in acquiring the alien artifacts. Their numbers are few, but they are some of the best soldiers we have."

"Space Pirates?"

"Looters basically. They were originally going to take care of raiding the planet before we realized that it was still colonized. They now run surveillance to observe the armies to ensure that things proceed in the way that we need them to."

"We'll need more than a few," Locus noted. "Shouldn't we have a larger force than that?"

"Quality over quantity. A very important principle. Plus, having a a force too large risks exposure. We keep thing on a small operation to avoid suspicion. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"For now."

"Good. For the moment, I'll allow you to study the files and come back with a revised strategy later. That will be all for now, gentlemen."

The mercenaries left the room. Felix walked with Locus on their way to their rooms. "Now this is gonna be fuckin' awesome! We'll make a killing! Both figuratively and literally." Locus didn't respond. "You alright, man?" Still nothing. "Hey! Locus." Felix grabbed Locus' shoulder and stopped him.

"What is it, Felix?" he sternly replied.

"Do you have some sort of issues right now? More than usual, I mean."

Locus sighed. "I'm fine. Let's just get this done."

 _Oh, great. I think I know what this is._ "Look, man. If this is about Siris, I told you to forget about that. That son of a bitch doesn't matter anymore."

Locus was still uncomfortable with his partner insulting his partner's memory. "He was our comrade. We fought along side him for years."

"And he fucking ditched us! He didn't go along with a job that would've gotten him and his family filthy rich, and now they're dead! That's how it is. He brought this on himself." Felix got in his face. "We are the survivors. We know what it takes to make sure we get ahead. He didn't go down the right path and he paid the price."

"He was a good man and you're disregarding him like a piece of trash. We didn't have to kill him."

"It was part of our job! It was our order! Do you wanna be a true soldier? Then you follow orders. Don't mourn the fallen. Complete your mission and move the hell on. Stop sulking about this."

Locus knew that Felix had a point if he wanted to continue with this job. He tried to distance himself, but he needed to be Locus, the weapon. Not Sam, the vulnerable man. "…Fine. Let's just go look over those files."

As the two walked along, Felix was wary of his partner's loyalty. _He needs to get this guilt shit behind him soon or we won't get anywhere far._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, don't hesitate to comment on it. I always read them. (I may not respond, but know that I did see them.)


	2. C Lux of Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix joins the New Republic's army and meets some important soldiers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title pronounced "100 lux of lies." Fun fact: Lux is Latin for "light."
> 
> Also, I made some edits to Chapter 1 that you might want to look over before starting this chapter.

Felix responded to the signal that the New Republic sent. He arrived in the ship Charon sent with his armor on and gun in hand. He looked out to the crude military base and determined that this was the New Republic's base of operations. _Well, this is a shithole_ , he thought. _Why do they even bother trying with this stuff?_ He saw that their equipment was mostly basic grade and wasn't too high-end. _I guess these people really believe in their cause if they're still trying to fight with this crap._

He walked to the base and was stopped by two guards. "Stay where you are!" one of them yelled as they pointed their guns at him. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Well," Felix began, "I'm actually here to talk with your commanding officer. I'm the freelancer they hired. And if you need to settle any petty disputes in the barracks, I take Visa or MasterCard."

"You're the freelancer?"

"Yep. You can call me 'Felix.'"

"Felix?"

"I know, I know. Lame name, right?" He chuckled at his own joke. "Still, I take it in stride. You never expect to be taken out by the mercenary named 'Felix.' It's pretty funny if you ask me." They were surprised at how chatty Felix was. "Anyways, I just need to know the guy in charge who's signing my paycheck."

The guard went on the radio to call the general. "General Merchant," he said, "there's a freelancer here saying he wants to meet you."

"General **Merchant**! Oh, that's perfect. I knew that this was the army for me." He laughed, but neither of them said anything. "Get it?... Get it? Like, 'merchant' and… I'm a… mercen- you know what? Fuck it." _Tough crowd…_

The three waited a few minutes for the general to arrive and Felix attempted to tell them jokes and gave them several remarks. The guards wondered when he'd ever shut up. Felix was actually in the middle of singing before General Merchant arrived. He wore a helmet with a red visor. "Felix! I'm glad to see that you've arrived. I'm General Miles Merchant of the New Republic. We thank you for responding to our call."

Felix walked with the general into the base. "Well, when the money's good, I'm happy to help. If not, you're on your own."

"Oh… well, that might be a problem." Merchant's voice wavered. "As a rebel faction, we don't have too many monetary resources. As you can see, our army doesn't have much in the way of combat technology. Not many tanks and a lot of the firearms we get are from raids on the Federal Army."

"Fuck, man. You really are scraping the bottom of the barrel."

"What do you expect? We're trying our best and I'm making damn sure that we will win this war. We win small battles here and there, but we're holding on by a thread."

"And that's why you requested my services." Merchant nodded. "Well, I'm perfectly willing to help you out, but I will be needing extra compensation. What can you give me?"

"Uh… well, Chorus is quite well known for its alien technological artifact. They were left over from the Great War. I'm sure you're familiar."

"All too much."

"But, we could possibly make up for the lack of money for tech that could be sold for profit."

_Perfect. They're playing right into my hands._ He pretended to think about it. "Hmm… I don't know. Seems like a bit of a cop-out…"

"Please, Felix. We're desperate here."

"Don't start begging. It'll make you look like a weak leader."

"I'm just admitting the realities of what's happening. We need help and we need it now. So, if you're willing to accept the alien tech for compensation and work for us, it would really help us. A lot of these guys could use the morale boost."

"Well, Merchant, if all you need is a morale boost, I can accept this tech for payment. I'll pull off a few jobs here and there, win a couple battles, wreck some of the Feds' shit, and I'll be out."

Merchant breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Felix. You have no idea how –"

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you can pay up and I'll be on my way. So, where are all the artifacts you're talking about? I'll see if it's worth my while."

"Ah! Yes. Come with me."

Suddenly, a young soldier ran into Felix. "Whoa, watch where you're going."

"Sorry," she said. _Oh, a lady. Well, might as well try some of my tricks._

"Oh, don't sweat it too much. I was out of line. I shouldn't have been so rough on a young lady such as yourself. What's your name?"

"Uh, Vanessa Kimball. Sargent Major."

"Vanessa. Well, you can call me 'Felix.' Rugged, battle-hardened veteran. And maybe later, you can help me get something else hardened."

There was silence at that moment before the sergeant major spoke up. "Uh… could you possibly not stare at me?"

"I was winking, but then I remembered I was wearing the helmet, so… yeah…" _Perfect. Play into the goofy act. Maybe it'll make me more relatable._

"Are you flirting with me?" There was confusion plain in her voice.

"Honey, I haven't even started flirting yet."

"And you should keep it that way," another voice said. Another soldier with a green visor walked over to them. _Who's this prick?_ "Captain Eric Kimball." _Oh._ "And I'd appreciate you not trying to go after Vanessa," he said in a stern tone.

"Whoa! Okay now. No need to get hostile. I'll back off…" He leaned closer to Vanessa before saying, "…for now."

Eric raised his gun to Felix's face. _That escalated quickly. Note to self: don't hit on married women. Especially when the husbands carry guns._ "Captain Kimball!" Merchant shouted. "That's quite far enough."

Eric reluctantly lowered the gun. "Sorry, sir," he replied. "It won't happen again."

"It shouldn't. He's our key to victory now and I'm pretty sure he'd be more useful alive."

"Yeah!" Felix shouted. "What he said!"

Eric grumbled, and Felix could feel the glare coming through his helmet. _Another note to self: make sure that guy gets killed in battle._ The Kimballs left without another word. Vanessa was slightly more reluctant. "I apologize for his behavior. Though, I'd recommend not doing things to aggravate the soldiers."

"Believe me. I'm learning that lesson quite well." Back to business. "So, these artifacts you were talking about."

"Yes. This way."

 

The chief resource officer handed Felix a plasma rifle. "Now this is some state of the art hardware," the mercenary replied. "Why not use these things in battle?" A question he already knew the answer to, but he needed to win their trust.

"Believe me," Merchant answered, "we have tried ever since we step foot on this planet. It's not that simple. These aliens really didn't want anyone else using this stuff."

"Well, I'm sure that people would be willing to pay a pretty penny to study this one. So, this stuff will do."

"Then consider it payment for your first job."

"Sweet." _All that's left now is to get this stuff to the pirates._ He placed down the rifle and picked up his own. "Alright. First things first, I'll need to do some recon. I wanna personally see what kind of shit they've got over there. I'll need a five-man team with me to get in and see what's what. They don't need to be the best, they just need to be capable and follow orders."

"Sounds good. We can see how our battle strategy will go. There's a base on the south side of Chorus. That will be a good place to attack. Do you want to personally choose the team, or will you be okay with me assigning them?"

"Well, I think that I know two people I want on the team. How about the Kimballs?"

"Are you sure about that considering what happened earlier?"

"I'm positive. How are they as soldiers?"

"Well, the sergeant major still a bit of a rookie soldier, but she's good. The Captain is one of my best."

"Great! That means I won't have to babysit him." And maybe I can get Vanessa alone with me. "The other soldiers you can choose for me. Just let me look them over before you let them join the team. Okay?"

"Understood. And Felix?" Felix looked up. "I'm glad that you're willing to do this."

"Just keep the payments coming in, and it'll be no problem." Felix walked away from him and went looking for the Kimballs.

He looked around the base for anyone who had seen the soldiers and suddenly he saw them talking together. "Hey, Vanessa, Eric!" he shouted.

"What do you want?" Eric replied.

"Just wanted to talk some business. I'm going on a reconnaissance mission and I want you two to be on the team."

"Really?" Vanessa said. "Why do you want us?"

"Well, call it intuition, but I think you'll be excellent additions. I told Merchant that I thought you guys seemed like you're pretty great and he spoke rather highly of you."

"Oh, please," Eric spat. "I know why you really want us on the mission.

"If you're thinking I'm still flirting, I'm not. I wouldn't be talking to you if I was, Eric."

"That's Captain Kimball to you!"

"Uh, not really because I'm a freelancer, bitch!" he replied in a smug manner. "No need to adhere to the chain of command.

"Maybe you'll adhere to this!" He raised his gun to Felix's head. "I don't need to be taking this shit from a mercenary!"

"Eric," Vanessa gently replied, "not now." As Eric backed down, she said, "We'd be honored to join your team. Don't worry too much about him. He's a bit of a hothead."

"I can tell," Felix dryly remarked, earning a grumble from the captain. "Anyways, we'll be talking about our plan at 1730 hours when Merchant has chosen the rest of the team."

"We'll be there."

Felix turned to Eric and said, "By the way, that would be an order from General Merchant, so don't think about trying to skip out just to spite me because it wouldn't go well for you."

"I'll be there," he answered. "I won't be happy about it, but I will. Let's go, Vanessa."

As they left, Felix called out, "Nice talking to you guys. Really. I mean it." _Man, that guy is such a tool. I'm definitely gonna get him killed as soon as possible._

* * *

The next day, Felix and Vanessa took post at mountain ledge near the base. Felix looked through his sniper rifle as Kimball looked through her binoculars. "So," Felix began, "we've got a couple of guards at the door. Seems like they've got shipments for tanks. But nothing conclusive."

"We'll keep you updated," Eric said over the radio. "We're going in now."

As the two watched in silence, Felix naturally decided to break it. "What's the deal with Eric?"

"What?!" she shouted.

"Shh! Keep it down. We're in stealth mode. Be stealthy."

She sighed. "He's just a bit… over-protective."

"What happened that put the stick so far up his ass?"

"When you're at war, the danger is everywhere. He didn't even want me being a soldier. But I insisted. I didn't wanna stand aside while people died for our freedom."

"I guess he would be protective of you. I understand not wanting your wife in danger."

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Felix shushed Kimball again. "Seriously. You need to get better at this stealth shit. Don't be so loud." _We can get to that later._

"Well, what was that you said about me being his wife?"

"I thought you were. You have the same last name."

"He's my brother!" she whispered.

"Oh… so, you're like… from Alabama or something?"

"We. Are not. Married. He's just always been a pretty protective older brother."

"Huh. I guess he's the kind of guy who's like, 'You can date my sister over my dead body,' or something like that."

"I'm surprised he hasn't literally said it." _And I hope he does…_ "Don't worry too much about him. He's been dealing with a lot of shit ever since this war started."

"Okay, okay." Felix went back to surveying the area. "But do you think we could go behind big bro's back?"

"Felix," Kimball sternly replied.

"Just a thought."

"Have another one of those thoughts, and you'll be dead before you get your first paycheck. My brother doesn't mess around."

"Goddammit, I was gonna get three plasma rifles for this job."

She ignored Felix's eccentricity and went back to observing the Federal Army's base. Felix smirked to himself. _She'll come around. I guarantee it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. As always, leave some comments and tell me what you thought. Even if you hated it, I wanna know.


	3. L Ice Soul FX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix meets up with the space pirates and gets information on a Federal attack. He prepares them to make their grand stand against them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title pronounced "50 ice soul effects." (Not "lice soul effects.")

Felix went out to the mountains where he met up with the space pirates. As he held the plasma rile he had been given, he looked for the soldiers in black suits as Hargrove told him. It wasn't long until he found the drop-ship with the pirates coming out of them. As he walked over, he greeted them. "Hello, everyone! If you didn't know, you can call me 'Felix.' And I'm kind of your de facto boss on this mission."

"You?" one man asked.

"Uh, yes. Me. Got a problem with that, dude? If so, I can always dock your pay."

"You don't have the authority to do that?"

"Are you sure about that? I mean, Control doesn't always tell you everything, do they?" The pirates looked at each other, contemplating Felix's words. He didn't have that authority, but he would have preferred to let them think he did. "Now, let's start talking business. Considering my man Locus isn't here to spy on the Feds, I need your intel."

"Your man?" one woman asked. She chuckled before saying, "What? Is he your bunk-buddy?" The other pirates laughed.

"One, absolutely not. Two, even if we were fucking, do you really wanna be insulting me about it? Especially him because he'd cut your head off and use it as a basketball. I'm serious, dude. That motherfucker is crazy with a capital C. Much like you're being something with a capital C right now, sweetheart."

"Up yours, dickhead!"

"You can say the all you want," he replied as he walked to the ship, "but you know you want me." She grumbled at the insulation. He laid down the plasma rifle on a storage crate. "Here's the first drop. Don't get too excited, ladies and gentlemen." One of the pirates stored it away. "Now, I'm gonna need that info on the Feds."

"Not yet," another man said. "Control wants to speak with you."

_Oh, great... Well, I guess I can't avoid it now._ Felix sighed and said, "Alright. Let's get this over with." He walked over to the video screen to talk.

Soon, a waveform appeared on-screen as the transmission initialized. "Good afternoon, Felix," he said.

Felix put on his charming, friendly tone of voice. "Oh, hey! Control! Gosh, it is just a pleasure to speak with you." It really wasn't.

"How are things going with your infiltration into the New Republic?"

"Quite smoothly. They don't suspect a single thing."

"Marvelous. And I assume you got the first piece of alien technology for me?"

"Absolutely. Just dropped it off with them a minute ago. Lemme tell you, she is a beauty. It's a shame that they don't work."

"Don't worry. Once I get my research team on it, they will be able to reverse-engineer weapons identical to these."

"Oh, that sounds awesome! I can't wait to take advantage of those."

"You shall get your chance, Felix. I guarantee you that as long as you keep up your good work. Will there be anything else you'll be needing?"

"Can you put Locus on? I need to discuss a few things with him."

"Very well. One moment, please."

Felix waited for Locus to come on the line. "What do you want Felix?" the mercenary asked.

"Locus, buddy. How are things up on the ship?"

"Could you just make this quick."

"Just trying to make small talk, man. Least you could do is play along."

"Felix!"

"Alright, alright. I'm just asking if you're still having those doubts. You really shouldn't be though. I mean it's a good gig."

"I'm fine, Felix," he sternly replied.

_Sure doesn't sound like it._ "Well, just make sure you get that guilt thing under control by the time you land on the planet. Remember, true soldier. Ya got me?"

He sighed and said, "Yes. Is this all you wanted to say?"

"One more thing. There's this soldier I need you to take out for me. If he's not dead by the time you join the Feds, I want you to take him out for me."

"Why?"

"Well, I'm trying to hook up with his sister and he's being a real cockblock about it. If you can just get that taken care of, that'd be great."

"You're asking me to kill someone for your own personal reasons?"

"Dude, no need to get on your high-horse. Might I remind you the reason why we're supposed to be on this shitty planet in the first place? To make some rich guy get even richer. So don't talk to me about killing people for personal reasons like you're some holier-than-thou white knight."

"The least you could do is be professional about it."

"Dude, we're not in the army anymore. You can go on with the protocol shit, but I'm gonna do things my way. 'Kay."

Locus groaned and Felix could tell he was rolling his eyes. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Great. I'll let you know what to look for once you get here. Felix out." The transmission ended and Felix walked back out. "So, as I was asking before, do you have any info on attacks that the Feds might be carrying out?"

"One in a few days," another man said. "They'll be assaulting the New Republic compound just north of Armonia."

"Still don't understand why they decided to have a base so close to the capital. That's like a prime target for getting nuked into oblivion."

"Regardless, that's where they're gonna hit. General Lovett will be leading the charge."

"Great. I'll pass the info along to General Merchant. I'll need a detailed list of the weapons and vehicles they'll be using to carry the attack out."

"We'll get on that."

As they left, Felix followed one of the female pirates. "You know, the funny thing is that these suits actually make your ass look fantastic." She turned around as he said, "I'm sure it would look even better out of that suit, though."

"Excuse me?" she replied.

"Just giving you a compliment. No reason I shouldn't be honest." She scoffed as she turned around. "Alright, see you later."

As he walked away, she muttered, "This is so not worth the pay raise."

 

Back on the Staff of Charon, Locus collected his thoughts as he contemplated the possibility of getting involved in this war. He had to convince himself of what he was. A true soldier. Someone who follows orders when told. A suit and a gun to answer to protocol. And it seemed to be more difficult the more he thought about Siris.

* * *

Felix returned to Merchant with the location of the Federal Army's next attack. He couldn't hide his gratefulness to the mercenary. "Wow!" he said. "How did you get this information?"

"A little personal recon," Felix replied.

"Well, I can't thank you enough for getting us this intel."

"You can certainly try by giving me some overtime pay." Merchant chuckled before Felix said, "No, I'm not kidding. I'd like to be paid extra. This wasn't easy to do, and I feel like compensation would be appropriate.

"Not a problem at all, Felix. It's the least I can do." He looked at the battle plans again. "Having one step ahead on the Federation will certainly show them that we're a force to be reckoned with." He looked up at Felix and said, "I know you're not invested in this conflict –"

"No kidding. I really could care less. No offense, though."

" – but I do appreciate you doing this for us."

"Are you gonna go breaking down and crying just before giving me a hug? Because I'm all for it." Felix opened his arms and said, "Come on. Bring it in, buddy."

"I… wasn't going to do that." Felix lowered his arms. "What I am going to do is relay the information to the people stationed at that base. We'll try to get some more tanks over there to prepare, but considering it's so close to Armonia, they'll see it coming from a mile away."

"You could always go further outland and go around. They won't be watching from a distance. And I can help lead the assault."

"I can't let you do that. It's my army. You don't have to do that."

"General, I insist. If nothing else, you'll want me by your side. Besides, it might help inspire the troops that we might have a chance."

"But you're a mercenary. They might think you'll be gone as soon as you get enough payment. Which I'm still not sure when that will be for you."

"I'll let you know. Don't worry. My point being, I want to see this assault through to the end. And besides, I have intimate knowledge of the attack that they're planning." Merchant mulled over it for a moment. Felix was giving a hard sell to see that he was going to lead against the Feds. He wanted to make sure he could see everything that was going on and make sure that the casualties were at the highest they could be without becoming suspicious.

"Are you really willing to do this Felix?"

"Absolutely. I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't willing."

"Are there strings attached to this deal?"

"Nothing but my usual fee."

Merchant sighed. "I guess we could use every advantage that we could get. Having an experienced soldier would be beneficial. If you have experience leading a battalion into battle, then I'd be less reluctant."

"Fuck yeah, dude! I didn't get as far as I did without being able to lead troops." He had led some missions, but he was mostly subordinate to Siris. And he only led one attack during the Great War. But it was technically leadership experience nonetheless. _Not really lying, right?_ It was a piece of advice he took to heart a long time ago: the best liars don't have to lie. It helped when he needed to keep Locus under his thumb.

"Okay then. I'll put together a group of soldiers for the assault."

"And remember to get a shitload of tanks."

"We'll get as many as we can. We don't want to waste them."

Felix shrugged. "Fair enough."

With that, Merchant left the war room. Felix smirked at his flawless manipulation of the general. _Hook, line, and sinker._

* * *

The Federal army went to the base of the New Republic waiting for a fight. General Lovett went out there expecting an easy victory. It wasn't too heavily fortified. "Alright, men," he said, "We'll make this simple. We need to get their supply down. After I give the declaration, we'll go in." He set up the loudspeaker. "Attention, New Republic of Chorus! This is General James Lovett of the Federal Army of Chorus! Evacuate now and surrender this post or be met with extreme force."

After some silence, someone else loudly announced, "Suck our balls!" confusing the Federal soldiers. Lovett paused and said, "Uh… could you repeat that?"

"I said…" At that moment, tanks and soldiers came out heading straight for the Feds. Felix was standing on one of them, speaking over the loudspeaker. He continued by saying, "Suck! Our! Balls!" He snickered to himself as he jumped to the ground, joining the soldiers.

Merchant got on the loudspeaker and shouted, "Attack!" The soldiers charged and fired upon the Federal soldiers. As the Feds fired back, some of the New Republic soldiers went down. But Felix more than made up for it. He took out several soldiers with nothing more than a pistol and a couple of knives. He slashed throats and tossed knives into the soldier's visors. _I am a fucking badass._

Felix got on the radio as he looked up at Lovett. He told Merchant, "I'm gonna go for Lovett. I'm gonna get to the outer flank to get a good snipe at him."

"Felix, it's too risky!"

"Hey, if I die, you won't have to pay me. So, it's a win-win."

"Fine. Go for it." _Thank you, Merchant. I was gonna do it anyway, but it's nice to have permission._ The soldiers continued to crush the Feds. The tanks blew several soldiers into oblivion.

As he went to the left flank, Felix got closer to Lovett and aimed his sniper rifle at the general's head. _Say goodnight, Jimmy._ With one pull of the trigger, he went down immediately. Even from this distance, he could see panic forming. He heard officers calling shouting "General down! Pull back! Fall back now!" _Nice._

As they went to retreat, Felix contacted Merchant. "This is Felix. The Federal General is down. We got him. The motherfuckers are running with their tails between their legs."

As he saw the Federal soldiers retreating, Merchant couldn't handle his elation that Felix could actually get Lovett. "YES!" He got on the radio. "They're retreating. I repeat, the Feds are retreating!" He could already see the troops cheering for the victory.

Meanwhile, Felix decided to make a shooting gallery out of the running Feds. He made a game out of seeing how many soldiers he could hit, and he got several of them before they fully pulled out of the battlefield. _Man, this will never get old._ He laughed to himself as he took out one last one before going back down to Merchant.

 

After the successful battle, the New Republic Army celebrated. Spirits were higher than ever before. And Felix was preparing to get back to Control. General Merchant stopped to give a speech to the survivors. "We've fought long and hard, but we were successful!" The crowd cheered. "We've shown them Federal Army that we're not going to back down from any attack that they'd try to pull on us! And with the extra efforts of our new ally, Felix, we were able to defend our outpost." Oh, great. He's gonna get sentimental. "Felix, do you think you could say a few words for the troops?"

"Me?" he asked. As Merchant nodded, Felix reluctantly walked up in front of the crowd. "Um… I'm gonna be honest… I'm not invested in this conflict. Like, at all. I'm just here for the money. But, I still think that this army has a real shot at winning this war. I'm not saying it'll be easy, I'm not saying it'll be soon, and I'm not saying that all of you will live to see that day. But I want you to know that your efforts and sacrifices will not be for nothing." _They'll be for lining my pocket with a lot of money._ He was glad that his helmet hid his smug smile. "I may leave you – I can't say I'll be here forever – but I don't want you to think that means you should give up. You know the old saying. 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for one meal. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.' When I leave here, you need to make damn sure that you all can kick the Feds' asses! And I know it can happen!" Everyone cheered.  _Not saying it will happen_ _._ Felix continued by saying, "So remember that this is only one battle. We may not win the rest of them, but I know that you have the capability to win this fucking war!" Everyone cheered for Felix as he went to the side with General Merchant.

"Amazing speech," Merchant said.

Felix shrugged and said, "Well, I do like to hear myself talk." Both of them chuckled as they prepared to get back to the base.

* * *

The Federal Army was scrambling to fill the recently opened position of general. The acting general, Douglas Jones, was unofficially filling the position until he earned a proper promotion. For now, his job was to organize the troops and keep things from plunging into chaos.

He couldn't get the thought out of his mind when he saw the man in the gray and oragne suit. He couldn't have been a part of the New Republic. Jones contemplated who that mysterious man could have been.

He discussed it in the war room with five other officers. "It's probably a distraction of some sort," one man proposed. "Maybe they have some kind of recruit that's supposed too taunt us."

"I was on the ground," a woman said. "I saw him cut up soldiers like it was nothing. That's not just some random soldier."

"A professional, maybe," Jones said. All the officers looked at him. "It seems that the New Republic has gotten some outside help... and it seems that we might have to do the same."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering why the Feds announced themselves, they didn't know that the New Repbublic was prepared for them. They thought that they would still need time to evacuate any non-combatants. I believe there's a law about what to do in a similar situation in real life, but for the life of me, I can't find a source for it at the moment and I really wanted to get this chapter out.
> 
> Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the story and I hope you look forward to what I have in store.


	4. Foll. Cue Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Locus begins his part of the Chorus mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title pronounced: "following cue six". (Trying my best to get creative with these chapter titles.)
> 
> I've definitely missed writing this story and I'm glad to finally get back around to continuing it.

Locus spent time on the shooting range doing target practice. He wanted to make sure he was at peak physical condition and at his top skill to do his job. Yet he still had the nagging idea at the back of his head that he was doing the wrong thing. He needed to remind himself that he was just being a true soldier. Nothing more than a suit and a gun made to follow orders… and as he continued hitting the targets, the reaffirming of his purpose didn't seem to help.

"Target practice?" He heard.  He turned and saw Hargrove walking behind him. "I see you're taking your job seriously."

"I'm just… trying to get in the right frame of mind," Locus said with noticeable hesitation in his voice.

"You're not having second thoughts, are you? Because your partner did talk a great deal about how qualified you were for this job." Locus raised his gun to fire at the targets again. "I would hate to have to let you go because you've started to grow a conscience."

That made him pause. It made it seem like he knew that this was all immoral but didn't care. Someone who just cared about the results obtained. "There are innocent people down there."

"Does the gun in your hand care about whether the person your shooting at is an inanimate target or an innocent human being? Do the gunships that fly in low orbit care about whether or not civilians are getting caught in the crossfire? Does a tank take the time to consider what the targets of their shells have done to deserve being obliterated?

"What are you getting at?"

"The point is, you are a weapon. You work for me and you do as you are told. If I point at a target…" He raised his index finger and aimed it at the target. "…you shoot it."

Locus looked at the man as he waited for Locus to respond. He then knew that he expected him to hit the targets now. Locus did exactly that with ease, and it made Hargrove smirk.

Hargrove lowered his finger and said, "That's all there is to it. Felix seems to understand that well. You'll have to make sure you do once you're prepared to go on Chorus' surface."

Locus sighed. He tried to get along with the idea that he would be murdering innocent people in cold blood, but he couldn't back down now. "Understood, sir."

"Wonderful," Hargrove replied with a smile. He left Locus to his own devices and allowed him to train. Locus continued to put himself in the right mindset. He was nothing more than a weapon. A hired gun. Guns don't feel remorse when their bullets hit a target. They didn't care if the target was innocent or guilty. He wanted to be a true soldier. He had to be a true soldier. He aimed his gun at the head of the target. _I will be a true soldier._ The bullets entered right through the bullseye on the head. _I **am** a true soldier._

* * *

Felix walked back to the New Republic's base like a king. Everyone congratulated him on his recent victory against the Federal Army. It was like he was a celebrity. He was on top of the world after being hailed as a hero. He knew that it was all a farce, but he decided to enjoy getting praise while he could. Two female soldiers walked up to Felix. "Felix! Felix!" they called out. "Is it true that you took on four soldiers on your own?"

"Now that is just false," he replied. "I don't want to be misrepresented like this." He paused before saying. "It was seven soldiers." The girls swooned at the correction. _Heh. They're all getting starstruck. I never would've imagined this. I'm milking this for all I can._

"Felix!" A few men shouted. One of them asked, "Do you think you could teach us some of that fighting that you pulled off in the battlefield? Some of the officers described it and the way they did made it sound pretty awesome."

"You'll have to pay me for lessons." He shrugged and continued, "A wise man once said, 'If you're good at something, never do it for free.'"

"Alright everybody," Merchant announced, "break it up! You all have jobs to do! This war isn't over yet! Back to work!"

As the crowd dispersed, Felix turned to the general and said, "Man, can you believe that I'm already at like MVP status? That is one hell of a feat."

"Which is what makes it all the more heartbreaking," Merchant responded in a somber tone, "that you might be leaving when you get your payment. These people look up to you."

"As they should."

"But we need some form of stability to keep us going. Look, Felix, I'm not gonna hold you hostage here and demand that you keep working with us, but just consider the impact you have on these people. You could really make a difference if you stayed."

"I get what you're trying to do. Rope me in with all that sentimental shit, but I told you, I'm only here to get paid. When I've decided I've got enough, I'm bouncing out of this shitty planet. No offense."

"Hey, I don't blame you for thinking that," he said with a chuckle. "Chorus is not exactly at the forefront of places to live, but it is our home. But just know that I meant every word that I said when I told you that you could make a difference. All I ask is that you think about it."

"Tell you what. If some sort of threat comes along in the next…" _What's a good timeframe for Locus to come here?_ "…three months or so that is so bad that you desperately need me to stay here, then sure. I'll be in for the long haul. At least until we take care of whatever that threat is."

"Let me guess, not for free?"

"You know me so well, general." At least well enough to know I'm not staying unless I get paid. He noticed the irony in that statement.

"Don't worry. There's a hell of a lot more tech we can give you, so don't worry. That’s taken care of."

"Fuck yeah. If only these things worked though. We'd have this war in the bag."

"Felix!" he heard a familiar voice call. _Oh, this oughta be good._ He turned around and saw the Kimball siblings approaching him. "We heard about your most recent attack," Eric said, "and I've gotta say…" It seemed like he had trouble to admit what he was about to say. _He doesn't need to say it. I know he thinks I'm awesome not._ "…good work."

Felix gave an exaggerated gasp. "I'm sorry. I don't think my helmet was set up right because it sounded like that was **the** Captain Eric Kimball complimenting me! I am truly flabbergasted."

Eric sighed in annoyance and continued, "Yes, yes. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but… even I have to admit that you have proven yourself."

"Proven to be totally awesome and badass and invaluable to the cause of the New Republic?" Yeah, I'm milking this for all I can.

"I'm saying you're good. And maybe we'll get along better."

"And you won't be mad if I fuck Vanessa?"

"Don't push it," he replied in a deadpan voice.

"Well, this is all good," Merchant said, "but I do need to talk to you, Captain Kimball."

"Yes, sir." With that, Felix and Vanessa were left alone.

"So," Felix began, "I guess you're impressed with my work?"

Vanessa immediately uttered, "Don't think this all means you're getting in my pants that easy."

"Oh! So, you're implying I still have a chance?"

"Fuck," she muttered under her breath. _Yeah, I got her._ "Regardless, you have roused up a lot of the people here. I heard you even gave quite a rousing speech after the battle."

"It was nothing. Just trying to give the troops inspiration."

"It's a shame you're not staying for the long-haul."

"You know how it is. I'm a freelancer. Can't be held down. Gotta go where the money is. You're lucky you picked me up first because I'm pretty sure the Feds have real money."

"Are you suggesting that you're gonna go to the Feds' side?"

"Y'know, now that you say that out loud, it sounds like a good idea. But I'm contractually bound. Gotta finish my job and move on to my next job."

"Well, I do hope you can stay for long. You really have been an improvement on this army. If I were one of the feds, I'd be shitting my pants right now."

"They'd definitely need one amazing ace in the hole to fight me." Vanessa chuckled at that moment.

* * *

Locus sat in the drop-ship waiting for it to land. He got the call from the Federation requesting the need for a mercenary. After the weeks of mentally preparing himself, he had become detached from the people of Chorus. He wasn't going to care about the innocent bloodshed. He couldn't if he wanted to get through this war.

The ship landed, and the bay doors opened up and saw the Federation soldiers awaiting him. "Welcome to Chorus," one man said. "I'm General David Howard, general of the Federal Army of Chorus."

"So," Locus replied in a monotone voice, "you're the one who's in charge around her."

"Yes indeed. I like to consider myself the captain of this ship we call Chorus." He proudly announced this.

Which is what made it somewhat embarrassing when Locus replied, "A ship that's undergoing a mass mutiny."

"Uh… well, that's a bit of a problem, but –"

"And the fact that your previous 'captain' was murdered by another mercenary."

"Okay, I guess we're not doing so hot, but that's why we need you." Locus and Howard walked away from the ship. "So, what is it you said your name was again?"

"Locus."

Howard was confused. "Uh… well, yes. I see you're wearing the Locus armor, but I need a name."

"Just call me 'Locus.'"

"Why is that?" Locus stopped where he was, and even though Howard couldn't see it, he could feel Locus' glare. He did not want to discuss this and decided not to press the issue further. "Very well. 'Locus' it is. Anyways, I think you could help improve this army and whip them into shape."

"Then let me see your army. I'll need to know exactly what I'm working with. The state of your army will determine your chances."

"Well, we do have state of the art technology and weaponry for this war. You should be satisfied with our arsenal."

"That doesn't matter if your soldiers aren't up to standard. The New Republic has nothing, right?"

"Exactly. We have them outgunned."

"And yet, it only took one mercenary to turn the tables on you."

Howard didn't have a suitable answer for that. He had to admit that Locus was correct about their situation. "Okay, okay. I admit. We're still not the best army in the galaxy, but we're doing the best we can."

"I'll be the judge of that." Locus knew his persona. He would establish order in the army to make sure they were herded into the right place for slaughter.

"Uh, before you do that, we will have to get you a medical exam just to make sure your fit to shape."

"I'm not one of your soldiers."

"But you are a soldier, are you not?"

Locus hesitated before he answered, "Yes… I am."

"Then this should be routine. Just head over to the medical bay. After your physical evaluation, you can meet me in the war room."

Locus sighed before saying, "Very well." Along his way, Locus observed some of the soldiers and saw mass amateurism in the ranks. He watched as a man failed to drive a warthog effectively and the gunner failing to hit any of the targets.

"Dude, watch the fucking road!" the gunner yelled.

"I'm doing my best!" the driver answered. Locus rolled his eyes as he watched their failure. _This is going to take a lot of work_ , he thought.

"Excuse me!" Locus heard. He turned around and saw a timid man in armor holding some files. "Uh, have you possibly seen the Brigadier Barns? I have these files to deliver to him."

"Who are you?"

"Oh! Uh, personal secretary to Barnes. My name is Donald Doyle. Are you… new here?"

"In a matter of speaking. I'm the mercenary that was hired by your army."

"Mercenary! Oh, dear. I had no idea. I guess that explains your darker colored armor." He chuckled nervously as Locus said nothing. "Okay, well, I should be going now. Welcome to the Federal army." Doyle ran off and Locus continued to his destination. _I'm surprised these people haven't gotten themselves killed already._

He entered the medical bay and a solder with a purple visor approached him. "Good morning, sweetheart!" she cheerfully greeted. "My name is Dr. Emily Grey, and I'll be taking care of your physical examination. I heard you had finally arrived and I made sure I was ready to have you taken care of as soon as possible. I hope you're up to tip-top shape and I'll be the one making sure of that! Aren't you excited?!"

Locus was taken aback by the woman's enthusiasm. He didn't even respond. "Okay! The strong silent type," she continued. "Okay. I see how it is. Don't worry. I'll get you to open up soon enough. Follow me!"

She walked towards the examination room. Locus sighed. This is going to be a daunting assignment.

They entered the empty room and Dr. Grey locked the door. "Alright! Now, to start, I'm going to need your name. Looking at the ad you sent, it says 'Locus' on here. Now, did that actually mean 'Lucas' like some kind of typo?"

"No."

"Okay, taking the name of your armor. That's fine. I sense there are some deeper psychological issues behind that, but we'll get to that later."

"I am not crazy!" Locus snapped.

"I never said you were, darling, but even if you were, that wouldn't be a problem for me. I know that war can be an emotionally and psychologically detrimental experience. We all have our own mental scars that haunt us for the rest our lives. I mean, who doesn't?!" She cheerfully giggled at the comment.

Locus did know that well, but it was the last thing he wanted to discuss. "Can we carry on with the examination?"

"Of course! And don't worry. You can keep the armor on for now. I imagine you're quite attached to it to go so far as to take on the name of it." _This woman's tone is bothersome. How could she be so cheerful at all of this?_

The woman continued to hook up sensors to the suit to get the bio-readings on Locus as he waited for the end of the process. "And that's it!" she announced. "I'll be getting these records sent to command and you'll be ready to go."

Suddenly, another doctor barged into the room. "EMILY!" he shouted. "How many times have I told you to stop taking my job?!"

"I did your job for you!" she angrily replied. "The least you could do is thank me for that!"

"Just get to your proper post!"

"I will not be silenced! I have seven PhDs and I have a right to exercise them!"

"Get the fuck out already!" _Not enough discipline to keep their soldiers from taking others' jobs. It's no wonder that they haven't made any substantial progress._ As Dr. Grey left, the new doctor walked up to address Locus. "Apologies for her behavior. As you can see, she's a bit… excitable."

"I've noticed," Locus plainly stated.

"She is an excellent doctor, though. I imagine that all your tests have been performed properly." The doctor looked at the reports. "Yep, everything's in order. There's no need to give you the examination again myself. I can at least trust her to do her job well." He then muttered, "Even if it isn't her goddamn job, to begin with."

"I shall be discussing issues of discipline with your new general soon. Hopefully, this will improve conditions within the ranks."

Without another word. Locus exited. "Uh… thank you? I guess… Man, that guy is weird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments are welcomed. :)


	5. Sole Flux CI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Locus begins to mold the Federal Army.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title pronounced "Sole flux 101" specifically meaning "Single flow 101."

Locus entered their command center. Howard looked up and saw the mercenary entering the room. "Locus!" he said. "I'm glad to see everything went well. I know those physical exams can be quite uncomfortable."

Locus wasn't dealing with the small-talk. "Let's just get started," he bluntly stated, startling everyone in the room.

Howard cleared his throat. "Right. Now, the issue we're having is with this man." A picture of Felix fighting the Fed soldiers appeared on a large screen in the back of the room. "He's an unknown. We've searched databases for any sort of information on him, yet nothing comes up."

Hargrove told them that he'd make sure that their records didn't show up so that they could fabricate their own past. He didn't think it would be possible, but due to Chorus' isolation, he assumed it must've made things significantly easier. "I know this man." Everyone turned their heads to Locus. "He goes by the name Felix. I'm aware of his tactics. Undisciplined and reckless. He's dangerous."

"How do you know this man?"

"We fought together in the great war. We were ruthless, but we followed our orders. Eventually, it became impossible to return to civilian life. So, we returned to mercenary work. We went our separate ways later. We tried to see who could be the best."

"And, do you think your former partner could be trying to get to you."

"As far as I can tell, he doesn't even know I'm on this planet." He technically wasn't wrong. Neither Hargrove nor Locus contacted Felix to let him know he was going to be arriving on Chorus. For all he knew, Locus was still on the ship. Felix taught him to manipulate the truth for his time on Chorus. It wasn't something he was comfortable with, but he needed to do it. "If I still know him well enough, he's only on here to get paid."

"Not a great idea," one technician said. "We're the only ones who have all the currency. The New Republic technically doesn't have any money."

"Then it seems rather odd that he'd be working for them."

Howard spoke up again. "I see. So, do you think that you could be able to combat your former colleague? I'm sure there are some old wounds between you two that might make things… difficult to stay professional."

"If you think that I'd be taking this job because of a personal matter, then you have me completely mistaken. I am a professional. A soldier. I do what I must to get the job done. Nothing more." In the few days he had been preparing, he had yet to fully convince himself of this.

"That's excellent. Well, the Federal Army of Chorus is at your disposal. If there is anything you need to help you do your job, just let us know. We'll let you know what your first assignment is."

"If I may, General, I think I need to comment on the state of your army as of right now."

"Oh, of course! You fought in the Great War. You would know what an army in tip-top condition would be like. So, tell me. How do you assess this great army?"

"Sloppy," Locus bluntly replied.

"Uh… excuse me?"

"Your men lack discipline. Proper training. They're not conditioned to perform at their highest. And frankly, there are some issues with insubordination in your ranks. Considering the fact that one of your medical officers simply takes matters into her own hands, you don't have such a decent grasp on your control."

"Dr. Grey again, wasn't it?" Locus nodded, and Howard sighed. "Yeah, she tends to play by her own rules."

"That isn't an excuse for taking things into her own hands against orders."

"Well, what do you suggest? It's not like we have too much time to do training."

"We will have time," Locus replied. His demanding, deep voice chilled everyone at this moment. "Let me assess your soldiers and I will see how fit they are for combat."

"Uh… very well."

 

* * *

 

After a day of watching the Federation soldiers perform at a mediocre level at best, he started wondering how they haven't gotten themselves all killed already. But it wasn't time for thinking about that. Locus made his way to talk with the space pirates. He was given the location and time that he needed to meet them and searched for the black-suited mercenaries. Locus approached their outpost and saw them working on other things. One of the pirates turned to him and asked, "Are you Locus?"

"Yes," Locus replied.

"Great! We've been waiting here for a bit. The coms are set up over there." As he pointed at their communicator station, Locus left as he was still talking. "And if you need any help I can…" He soon noticed that he wasn't listening to him anymore. "Not much of a talker. Okay. I understand that."

Locus turned on the communicator to talk to Control. "Come in, Control. This is Locus."

Control's mechanical voice came online and said, "Locus. I'm glad to hear that you've already started working. What is your plan going forward?"

"Only to observe at this moment. I've been assessing the state of their army and it is laughable at best."

"Curious, I wouldn't have taken you as one for humor. No matter. If their army is as inadequate as you think, then letting them get killed off will be significantly easier."

"That does go against my plans for them. I already told them I'd be providing training. If we are to appear to be a formidable force that Felix will need to combat, then they must at least be competent soldiers."

"As long as you don't give them too much of an advantage. Just make sure that they don't suspect anything for now."

"Yes, sir."

"Would you like to speak with Felix to coordinate your plans?"

"Is he actually available? He doesn’t respond to daily briefings."

"He was actually wanting to call you to know if you had made it to the surface. I'll patch him through if you wish."

"Then do it."

In a short moment, Felix came on-screen. "Yo, Locus!" he began, already irritating Locus. "What's up? I see you made it to this shithole of a planet."

"I'm beginning to train the Federation army to begin with the counterattack."

"Cool, cool. I'm guessing you need my input on where you need to deliver the ass-kicking?"

"What do you think?"

"No need to get testy," he said in a casual manner. "Honestly, I think you'll need to start with recon. Get some info to the Feds about just how badass of a threat that I am."

"Charming."

"Hey, by the way, these rebels? They fucking love me! I mean, I'm like a celebrity here. And there's this chick that I've seen whose brother is trying to cockblock me. But if you can go and kill him for me if I get him in position for you, that would be great."

It was almost upsetting to Locus that he could talk about having a man murdered like he was ordering takeout. "Felix," he retorted, "this is a job. Take this seriously."

"I am. Relax. I just think that we could kill certain people before others. By the way, his name's Eric Kimball and he's got a red visor."

"Felix!"

"Yeah, you've got a point. It'll probably be best to discuss a plan when we come up for your big reveal."

"Felix!" he shouted more assertively. "I need to start surveilling you. When are you going on another mission?"

Felix shrugged. "Dunno yet. We just kinda go with the flow. Unlike you, the rebels don't all have sticks up their asses. Well, except for Eric. Kind of a prick if you ask me."

Locus sighed in frustration. "No one did ask. Just give me a timeframe and a location."

"Well, we were planning to hit a Fed compound later in the week. About thirty klicks south of Armonia, Is that enough for you?"

"It's what was required, Felix."

"Sheesh, man. Loosen up! No need to be so anal about this." Locus rolled his eyes at Felix's lack of professionalism. "Hey, I gotta head out, but let me know when you're gonna launch your big counterattack. Later!" The transmission cut and Locus was already remembering how irritating Felix could be. He had forgotten about it the whole time he was still on the _Staff of Charon_. Something told him he'd be dealing with him again just like old times.

 

* * *

 

The rookie soldiers stood in rows and awaited what they could possibly be doing for the army now. It wasn't long until the dark-suited mercenary walked in front of them. They were immediately intimidated without him saying a word to them yet. They couldn't see his face, but they could feel the disdain he held for them. He walked along the front line and introduced himself by saying, "I am here because your commanding officers called me here to fight on your behalf. I am a mercenary, and you will only refer to me as 'Locus.' Before now, you continued your lives in blissful ignorance while believing that you… are soldiers." As the confused troops looked at each other, he stopped and turned to face them. "That ends today. From this moment on, I will show you what it really means to be a true soldier. To be ruthless. To follow orders to the letter. And to turn you into the weapons you need to be if you even want the slightest chance of winning this war."

A disingenuous solder whispered to another, "Mr. Edgelord over here," and giggled.

That's when Locus shot at his feet, startling everyone in the group. He stalked closer to him as the soldier was shaking in his boots. "What is your name, soldier?"

"Uh…" He was mortified by the mercenary. "…Cadet Chambers, sir."

"Cadet Chambers… what did I just tell you that you were to call me?"

"L… L…"

"Speak. Clearly. Soldier."

As the mercenary loomed over Chambers, he was scared into saying, "Locus, sir!"

"Then, remember that name. You will respect your superiors. They are the ones leading you into battle and giving you the orders that you need to carry out in your efforts to win this war." Locus walked back in front of the troops. "The first thing you will learn is reverence. When you fight for your cause, you are a weapon for that cause. Nothing more. Do not mourn the fallen, do not question your orders, and do not hesitate to carry them out. You either kill or be killed. You should be willing to put your life on the line for the fight against the New Republic, but if you have a chance to live, you will take it."

A female soldier raised her hand and asked, "Uh… Mr. Locus, sir?"

"What is it?"

She stammered, "You don't expect us to actually kill them, do you?" Locus was taken aback by the audacity of this suggestion. He didn't respond, and she continued, "I mean… they are… or they were our fellow citizens."

"No, they're not. They are terrorists who have been destroying your good city from their delusions of self-righteousness."

"I know but… it seems a little harsh."

"What is your name, soldier?"

"My… my name is… Private Megan Garcia, sir."

_Megan_ , Locus thought. As soon as he heard the name, she saw Megan Wu's tear-stained face as Felix pushed him to shoot the innocent woman. He tried to ignore the thought as he spoke to Garcia. "Tell me, Private Garcia. Who is in the New Republic that is making you so apprehensive about fighting this war to the fullest extent?"

Garcia was embarrassed to have to talk about this. "It's kind of personal…"

"It was an order. And what did I tell you about the orders that you're given?"

"N- not to question them, sir."

"Then, I order you to explain yourself."

She hesitated before answering him. "My wife… Elizabeth Mathers. She defected not long after we were soldiers. I still love her. I've loved her for years. I can't just kill her."

"Do you really know that Mathers would do you the same courtesy?"

"Of course, I believe it."

"I didn't ask if you believe it. I asked if you **know**." As the Mercenary approached her, she could feel his gaze through the opaque-looking helmet. "Here's what I know, Private. If it comes down to it and you end up on the other end of her gun, you will take the shot."

Garcia was on the verge of tears. "But, I can't –"

"You! Will! You do not mourn a fallen enemy. And that's exactly what she is to you now. An enemy." Locus addressed the rest of the troops, "If you ever had friends that joined sides with the New Republic, give up any hope that you could possibly fix them. They are now the opposition and you will treat them as such." He looked back at Garcia and said, "Is that clear?"

"Uh…"

"Excuse me!" they all heard. They turned and saw Dr. Grey entering their training area. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think you might want to take a gentler approach to this topic."

Locus approached the doctor and inquired, "Might I ask what qualifies you to critique my style of command?"

She chuckled and said, "Well, as someone who has a couple of degrees in psychology, I can assess the best way to inspire the troops. Mind if I give it a try?"

"I do mind."

"Perfect," she cheerfully replied while still approaching the troops. "Glad you understand. Thanks for giving me the chance to work."

"I didn't say –"

"No need to thank me! It's just my job." As he watched Dr. Grey walk forward, Locus couldn't believe that she was doing this. Grey approached Garcia. "Sweetie. Honey. Darling. I know it seems pretty scary to have to kill someone you love, and this sort of thing might be incredibly intimidating, but you just have to think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts will get you through. And I promise that the voices of your victim will only show up every once in a while."

"What?!" Garcia screamed.

"Oh, trust me. You won't even know they're around." Dr. Grey suddenly shouted, "SHUT UP, DARCY!" before going back to Garcia. "You'll be just fine. Besides, chances are someone else already killed her by now, so you might not even see her." Dr. Grey giggled, but it caused Garcia to run away crying. "Happy thoughts!" she shouted to Garcia. She said to Locus, "I'll just go make sure she's okay," before leaving.

_“You are monsters!” Megan Wu spat at Locus and Felix._

_“She’s not wrong, you know,” Siris yelled out. “You should be ashamed of yourselves!”_

Locus shook his head at the memory of the Wu's murders. Even using the word "murder" to describe what happened made him uncomfortable. He still had work to do to distance himself from it. "Anyways," he resumed, "starting today, you will be put through rigorous training to ensure that you are in peak condition to fight. You will not give me any backtalk, you will not be complaining, and you will not be giving up. You will make it through my training… or you will die trying."

Another soldier hesitantly asked, "Uh… you don't mean that literally, do you?"

"If I wasn't clear, that was an order, soldier."

The man hastily added, "Y- yes, sir."

"Good. Let us begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little fun-fact: PTSD can sometimes cause hallucinations. While presented more humorously with Dr. Grey (Yeah, that was real.), You can see how Locus' manifests itself.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a comment telling me what you thought (even if you hated it). I don't always respond, but I always read them.


End file.
